


Take Me Back To The Start

by liv_andlet_die



Category: DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Teen Titans - All Media Types, The Flash - All Media Types, Titans (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Birdflash - Freeform, Divorced With Kids, Family, Fluff, Getting Back Together, M/M, dickwally, figuring their shit out, post Dick/Kori, post Wally/Linda, thirties au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-05
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2019-08-19 04:14:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16527137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/liv_andlet_die/pseuds/liv_andlet_die
Summary: Dick and Wally haven't seen each other in eight years. After breaking up in their early twenties, life and families and Doomsday events just kept getting in the way. Now, both single with kids, they find each other again. Can they build a life together, after all this time? Can they put aside their old problems and help each other through their new ones? Only time will tell - if they let it.





	1. The One That Got Away

**Author's Note:**

> "Liv, you've got so many AUs already half written! Are you ever going to finish them instead of coming up with new ones every few months and then disappearing again?"
> 
> *throws another one at y'all and crawls back into my hovel*
> 
> I'm just trying to have a good time, okay?
> 
> (sidenote: big shoutout to @lesbiangraysons for all the help with this fic, literally could not have come up with half of the ideas for it without you <3)

When Dick wakes up in the morning, Wally isn’t there.

He stretches out leisurely, his arm reaching across the bedsheet in search of a body that isn’t there. Dick frowns through his sleepy daze, lifting his head and blinking open tired eyes to see empty space next to him.

Hm.

Sitting up slowly, he gazes around the room. No clothes on the floor, the door ajar – no sign of Wally at all. The sinking feeling in his chest starts to settle into a heavy lump in his gut as he curls his knees against his chest, burying his hands in his hair. He really shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up. It’s not like Wally to just up and leave without saying good-bye, but then again, does he really know Wally anymore?

It’s not like they’d set any rules or discussed future plans. They hadn’t really _discussed_ anything since getting back to his apartment last night. They didn’t really find the time.

~

_“New place then?”_

_Dick smiled as he unlocked the door. “Needed a little more space.”_

_“Did Bruce buy this building too?” Wally chuckled, leaning against the door frame._

_“I didn’t actually ask for this one. He just… did it.”_

_Wally shook his head, a stupid grin plastered on his face. “Some things never change.”_

_Dick lead the way into the apartment, tossing his jacket on the rack to their right, Wally following suit. “You expected change from Bruce Wayne?”_

_“I learned a long time ago to never expect anything from Bruce Wayne.”_

_Dick grinned, flopping down onto the soft, worn leather of his couch. Wally – in proper Wally fashion – made his way into the kitchen. He rifled through cupboards, clearly disappointed in his lack of findings, then opened the fridge. Dick sent him a sheepish smile as Wally turned to him, gesturing exaggeratedly to the empty space within._

_“Dude. You’re thirty-two. How are you a grown-ass man and you’re still incapable of feeding yourself?”_

_“…Alfred?”_

_“Jesus…” Wally huffed and swung the door shut, crossing the room to settle on the couch next to Dick. “Some things really don’t change.”_

_Dick laughed and poked Wally in the side with his toe. “You sure haven’t.”_

_“Oh?” Wally grabbed Dick’s ankle before he could pull away, raising a challenging eyebrow. “How so?”_

_“Still a glutton.”_

_“Speedster.”_

_“Same thing.”_

_Wally’s eyes narrowed, a glint of mischief flashing through them before he yanked on Dick’s trapped ankle and pulled him flat on his back. Dick yelped in surprise, hair disheveled from static cling, as Wally shifted on the cushions to hover over him._

_~_

Dick shakes his head, clearing the memory from his mind. Don’t think about that now. It happened. It’s in the past.

The past was about six hours ago, but it was still the past.

He slips an old pair of sweatpants on, stepping out of the bedroom and padding into an empty apartment. Empty living room, empty kitchen. Dick swallows hard, making his way through as if he isn’t disappointed. As if he hadn’t been hoping Wally would be sitting at the island. Waiting for him.

He doesn’t know why he thought Wally would stay. They’d found each other in a bar by chance. This wasn’t a date. It was a hook up. Casual.

Simple.

Wasn’t it simple?

Dick sighs, switching on his coffee machine and waiting for it to brew. Too much shit in his head to deal with before coffee, that’s for sure. As he watches the dark liquid drip into the pot, he leans against the counter with a sigh.

Alright, so they have a history. They’d dated. But Dick has stayed friends with every one of his exes, it’s one of his few natural talents. Zatanna, Roy, Kori… they all stayed in touch. He has to with Kori, they have Mar’i together, but they still love each other. That’s never gone away.

But somehow, he and Wally haven’t seen each other in _eight years_.

A lot can change in eight years.

~

_“Anything different about me?” He asked softly, planting his hands on either side of Dick’s head._

_Dick pondered it for a moment, gaze flickering over Wally’s face. Eight years had done good things for his old best friend. Wally still looked as good as he did when they were younger, but his jaw was sharper – a little more square. His hair had gone more of a copper tone than the bright fiery orange it used to be, and the laugh lines around his eyes were more prominent. His green eyes were darker too, a deep emerald that Dick could see himself getting lost in if given the time._

_Wally was different, but in very subtle ways. His cockiness was confident without the bravado – like he finally understood how attractive he really was. His movements weren’t awkward or gangly. There wasn’t anything gangly about him anymore. Even at twenty-two, Wally hadn’t fully grown into himself – now, at thirty-two, he definitely had._

_“Not really.” Dick murmurs, eyes falling to those oh-so-familiar lips a few inches above him. “You’re still… you.”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_Wally leaned in a bit, watching every change of Dick’s expression for discomfort – like he used to._

_“Is that a good thing?”_

_Dick bit down on his lower lip, wondering if that still effected Wally the way it used to._

_“I think so.”_

_When Dick finally closed the gap between them, Wally met him halfway._

~

Dick jumps a little when the coffee machine beeps, not realizing how caught up in his thoughts he’d gotten.

It’d been nice – really nice – to catch up again after all this time. To learn about each other all over again and fill in those missing pieces of their lives. How they’d managed to slip past each other for eight years, Dick would never know. He supposes that marriage and kids and world-ending events sort of get in the way of that kind of thing. But seeing as they _both_ still know Roy, Dick wonders how valid that argument really is.

Maybe they just didn’t know how to find each other again after drifting apart like they had.

It’s not an easy thing to do when you’d been with someone every day for so many years, only to suddenly realize that you weren’t the same people anymore. Things had changed, and you didn’t see it coming. You didn’t fit anymore.

_We fit together well enough last night. So, what does that mean?_

Dick rubs the sleep out of his eyes, leaning heavily against the edge of the counter. That doesn’t matter anymore. Wally’s gone. Wally _left_ , without saying goodbye. None of that matters anymore if Dick isn’t going to see him ever again.

Maybe in another eight years time. Maybe they’ll run into each other again and have another night of desperate nostalgia.

Dick wills away the hope that wells up in his chest at the thought.

He takes a mug out of the cupboard, about to pour out the steaming liquid, when he hears the front door open with a click. Suddenly wide awake, Dick whirls on the spot, muscles tensed and ready for conflict – only to see a tall, redheaded figure creeping into the dimly lit front hall.

_Wally._

Wait – what?

“Wally?” Dick asks softly, his throat still dry and scratchy from sleep. He’s not sure if that’s why his voice breaks.

Wally spins on his heel, revealing a brown paper bag and a coffee tray with two cups in hand. The brilliant smile on Wally’s face when he sees him knocks the breath out of Dick’s lungs. “Oh hey, you’re up!”

Dick blinks in surprise, staring at the items as Wally gets closer, carrying them over to the island and setting them down next to his coffee mug. “Uh. Yeah.”

“I figured I’d go get breakfast, since we’ve already established that you’re _useless_ when it comes to food. I wasn’t sure if you still take your coffee the same but there was a Starbucks and I still remember your old order, so I just took a chance and-” Wally seems to notice the mildly shocked expression that must be on Dick’s face, pausing to stare at him for a moment. “You okay?”

Dick shakes his head to clear it for the second time that morning, still a little thrown from the emotional whiplash of Wally coming back. He’d been gearing for a day of trying to forget Wally. Forgetting his touch, his voice, his… everything. And now Wally’s standing in front of him again, breakfast in hand, having woken up early to fetch it for them because for once, Dick is unprepared.

“Uh, yeah. I’m good.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.” Dick plucks the paper cup with his name on it out of the tray and takes a sip, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards when he tastes the coffee order he’s been using for the better part of a decade. “Thanks for breakfast.”

Wally frowns, glancing down at the mug on the counter, then back up at up Dick, who’s desperately trying to avoid his gaze. It doesn’t take long for him to put two and two together.

“You didn’t… you didn’t think that I-”

“No, of course not-”

“I swear, I’ve only been gone five minutes.”

“Wally, it’s fine-”

Dick doesn’t get a chance to finish his sentence before finding himself pressed against the edge of the counter, coffee cup snatched out of his hands – which is good, because he uses both to catch himself on the cool marble surface as Wally invades his space. His breath hitches in his chest as Wally traps him between both arms – much like he’d done the night before – gaze stern as he stares into Dick’s eyes.

“You didn’t think I’d let you go again, did you?”

Dick almost swallows his own tongue when his heart decides to leap into his throat at those words. He can feel his cheeks warming at the close proximity. His heart is pounding, pulse racing. He feels like a giddy teenager again, and Dick wonders if that’s just the way that _Wally_ makes him feel. How he’s always made him feel.

Wally doesn’t give him the chance to answer, nudging his nose gently against Dick’s in a soft gesture that he hasn’t felt in a very long time. “I just found you again… You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

It takes a gargantuan effort to find his voice, and when he does, it’s sarcastic. “I mean, technically _you’re_ the one who left, so really who’s to blame here-”

The smile that spreads across Wally’s face is even more brilliant than the last, and if given the chance that alone would have shut Dick up, but it doesn’t because Wally is kissing him now and he tastes like coffee and vaguely of powdered sugar and Dick is absolutely melting into it. Wally’s hands come up to cup his jaw, thumbs rubbing gently over the short stubble on his cheeks, and the touch has Dick grasping at Wally’s baggy t-shirt like his life depends on it.

He’s being pressed hard into the countertop and he really doesn’t care because Wally’s mouth is on his, warm and familiar and so, _so_ Wally and regardless of anything they did last night, it still takes his breath away. It’s like vertigo and déjà vu all at once, the feeling of Wally’s body against his. It’s so familiar, yet still so different – bigger, stronger, but still everything that makes him Wally. Every touch is new, but practiced, as if they’ve done all this before – because they had. Years of friendship, of a relationship, of a complicated and intertwining history that ended so long ago, but picked right up again where it left off. They’ve both changed, obviously, yet somehow still know each other well enough to drive themselves crazy.

Dick’s hands drop lower, resting on Wally’s hips, and would have wandered further if he didn’t feel a recognizable fabric hugging his waistline. His fingers dip into the band, snapping gently at the elastic as he breaks the kiss with a smile.

“Did you steal my sweatpants?”

Wally grins against his lips, both of their eyes staying closed as they lean their foreheads together. “Didn’t have any of my own here. And I figured we were still the same size.”

“That’s a bold assumption, thinking you can just steal my clothes like that.”

“What can I say? I’m hopeful.”

Dick opens his eyes at that, watching Wally look up and meet them with his own. Despite the laugh lines carved permanently in the corners, those eyes haven’t changed one bit. They still shine the same way they did after their very first kiss, still glint in joy and swim with worry the same way they had when they were seventeen and stupidly in love.

If there’s anything that Wally West has always been, it’s hopeful.

And if there’s anything in particular that made Dick fall in love with him all those years ago, it was that optimism.

Maybe that optimism is contagious. Or maybe that desperate nostalgia is clouding his judgement. But for the first time in a while, Dick feels comfortable. He feels wanted.

He feels right.

In Wally’s arms, warm and fuzzy and just a little lightheaded, Dick feels like this could be right again. If they give it a shot.

Dick thinks maybe they could.

 “So, what’s for breakfast?”


	2. Little Wonders

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Wally's first date.
> 
> Both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "All of my regret  
> Will wash away some how  
> But I can not forget  
> The way I feel right now"

When Wally arrives, frazzled and windswept and fifteen minutes late, Dick can’t help but smile fondly. It’s been almost a decade, but he can always count on Wally West to be consistently inconstant. Dick had come a few minutes early, just to see if Wally’s habits had changed in the time they’d been apart – he hadn’t been counting on it. That’s why at twelve minutes late, Dick had gone up to the register to order their coffee – which he now holds out to Wally when he finally finds Dick leaning against the back wall of the café.

Wally takes the still steaming paper cup, a crestfallen look on his face as he takes Dick’s now empty hand in his own. “Dick! I’m so sorry, I-”

“Why?” He cocks an eyebrow. “You’re right on time.”

“What?” Wally glances at his watch. “You said 2:30, right?”

“Yup. Which is why I expected you at 2:45.”

“You- What?”

“We were best friends for thirteen years, you think I never planned around ‘Wally Time’? You really haven’t changed that much.”

Wally’s adorably confused, brows furrowed together in an expression caught somewhere between wanting to be offended and loving that Dick still thinks about things like that.

Dick doesn’t give him the chance to decide how to feel, instead leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. Having almost definitely run here at the speed of sound, Wally’s face is flushed, his lips a little chapped and responsive as ever as he melts into the kiss. Dick smiles, breaking the kiss just as Wally starts to move in, stepping around him and using their entwined hands to pull him out of the café.

“C’mon, we’ve got a whole afternoon, let’s not waste it.”

“Okay…” Wally lets himself be dragged along, shaking his head clear from the kiss. “Wait- what the hell is  _ ‘Wally Time’ _ ?”

It’s been almost a week since the two of them had their spontaneous reunion. They decided the morning after that if this was going to work, they’d have to figure out how to spend time together outside of, well, literally every other part of their lives. Away from jobs, “second-jobs”, kids, friends. Just the two of them, learning each other all over again. It was miraculous that they’d managed to find a day both of them were free so soon, but Dick counts his lucky stars that they did.

He’d missed Wally.

He’d spent eight years without him, but the second this particular red-head was back in his life, he’d started taking up more space in Dick’s mind than he’d like to admit.

Dick couldn’t stop thinking about that night. Or the next morning. Or all the things they did that night and that morning. At work, on the rooftops – all the freaking time, Wally’s dumb, wonderful smile is imprinted on the back of Dick’s eyelids every time he closes his eyes.

A coffee date is simple. It’s normal. They need something  _ normal _ to start this relationship again, because nothing about them has ever been normal or thought out or planned. They’d thrown themselves into a relationship years ago, and as good as those years were, they lead different lives now. More complicated, adult lives. A part of Dick wishes that things were still as easy as they used to be, but then he realizes that their lives have never been easy. Being together had just made things bearable.

Bludhaven might be a crime ridden hovel of a city, but damn if snow doesn’t make the neon lights and dirty sidewalks just a little bit easier to ignore. The city still winds twinkle lights around every stubborn tree, hanging tacky silver stars from broken lampposts. Somehow, that small effort makes Dick love Bludhaven even more. The resilience of the citizens to find beauty and hope in the smallest things makes Dick proud to be their hero.

From the look of on Wally’s face as they walk past a barred-up window display of an ancient Santa robot, he’s clearly not as charmed by the place as Dick is.

~~~

_ The earbud in his left ear blasted an upbeat pop song that he knew from somewhere, but Dick couldn’t place it. It was Wally’s turn to pick a song, Dick’s expensive headphones plugged into his iPhone and volume all the way up. The song was bouncy and bass-heavy and very early-2000’s, and he’d be able to figure it out if he wasn’t burning up from head to toe. If Wally’s hand wasn’t brushing against his every five seconds. If Wally’s laugh wasn’t sending shivers down his spine and his stomach into his throat. If Wally’s eyes weren’t burning a hole in the side of his head every time he refused to meet them.  _

_ If Dick and Wally weren’t on their very first date, and if they had any idea what they were doing. _

_ “Dude, you’ll get it by the chorus.” _

_ Dick rolled his eyes. “You said that about the last song too.” _

_ Wally waved a dismissive hand. “It’s not my fault you’re lame! Use that freaky Bat-memory, dig deep! I  _ know  _ you know this song, they played it at like, every middle school dance in America.” _

_ “You forget that I went to a private school that played live jazz and had a mandatory waltz at school dances.” _

_ “I’m still not convinced that Gotham Academy isn’t Hogwarts in disguise.” _

_ They both laughed at that, their breath visible from the chill in the air. _

_ It was cold, but not freezing, the snow drifting around them like it didn’t want to touch the ground. Gotham in December was always pretty mild, the heavy weather always hitting in January after the holiday madness. Every store window on Mainstreet was glowing with twinkle lights and shiny baubles, potted evergreens and fir trees lining the sidewalk. Giant golden stars hung over their heads from old cast iron lamp posts, and every building had massive holiday advertisements projected onto worn brick walls. This area of the city was always beautiful this time of year. Dick found most of his city beautiful in it’s own way, but he knew Wally would appreciate  _ **_this_ ** _ Gotham at it’s best - sparkling and otherworldly and extra in every way.  _

_ Wally’s fingers brushed against his knuckles again, causing Dick’s heart to skip a beat - again - and he took a deep breath to will away the impending blush. At least it was cold enough that he could explain away red cheeks and ears, despite how bundled up he was. So much of him wanted to bury his face in Wally’s neck and soak up all his ridiculous body heat, but just the thought had his heart pounding and his breath catching again. Which was so stupid - he’d always hugged Wally for warmth, the guy was a walking space heater and Dick had never once questioned the thought of clinging to him like a koala when he got cold. _

_ But that was before he’d realized that he had it bad for his best friend, and it had changed everything. _

_ Even now, on an actual  _ date  _ and knowing that his feelings were returned, Dick couldn’t move. He wanted to reach out and touch, to feel Wally’s glowing warmth on his skin. He wanted that contact with every fiber of his being, but something inside him kept his arms tucked tightly at his sides. _

_ Which was why the ever-graceful Dick Grayson almost tripped over his own feet when Wally took his hand and laced their fingers together.  _

~~~

“Why Bludhaven?”

Dick turns, catching Wally’s curious eye. He’s been staring around at the boarded up windows and triple-locked doors as they walk down a slushy sidewalk, features of the city that Dick is used to by now. Wally may have once spent a lot of time in Gotham, but Gotham is a far cry from Bludhaven even in it’s darkest times. 

“What do you mean?” He asks, even if he knows. 

“Why did you decide to live… here?” Wally’s voice drops ever so slightly as they pass a disgruntled looking woman, probably not wanting to offend any citizens that weren’t Dick.

Not that Dick is  _ that  _ offended. He gets it. 

“I’m not really sure.” He answers honestly. “I came here once to help Bruce solve a couple cases, and after that it just seemed like the most natural place for me to be. I guess?”

“It just doesn’t feel like you.”

Dick ponders that for a second, then raises an eyebrow. “It doesn’t… feel like me?”

“Yeah.”

“Wanna expand on that a little?”

Wally’s friendly smile and barking laugh is out of place on Bludhaven streets. “I don’t know how to! It’s just… dark. And gloomy.”

“I grew up in  _ Gotham _ .”

“Yeah, but, here feels... hopeless.” 

Dick is quiet for a moment. “Maybe that’s why I need to be there, then.” He can’t help but notice the small smile tugging at Wally’s lips. “What?”

“And you say I haven’t changed.”

“What’s  _ that  _ supposed to mean?”

Wally shrugs, the smile still there, but now a little sad. “You always have to put so much pressure on yourself, y’know that?”

“I… what?”

“You still put the world on your shoulders, one messed up person or place at a time.”

Wally’s looking at him now, and Dick’s finding it hard to respond when Wally’s looking at him like  _ that _ . Like he knows him inside out, like he knows every crack and fault in his armour, but smiles despite it all. The look is fond, and familiar, and has his stomach twisting in an oddly pleasant way. 

“Like you don’t do the same with your own city - oh sorry,  _ cities _ , now.” Dick replies, his mouth a little dry so his humor follows suit. 

“I have superspeed and a population of citizens who actually put effort into healthy, functioning lives. My jobs a lot easier than yours.”

Dick’s not sure if he should laugh or be offended on behalf of his city. A chuckle slips out despite himself. “Hey man, they’re doing their best.”

Wally tilts his head to the side, considering that with a raised eyebrow. “Fair enough.”

~~~ 

_ His chapped lips parted in surprise, looking down at their joined hands for a moment before finally meeting Wally’s gaze. Freckled cheeks were flushed red, the tip of his tongue licking his lower lip as he looks at Dick in anticipation.  _

_ “Is this okay?” Wally asked softly. “I’ve been wanting to do it all night.” _

_ Dick let out a breathy laugh, wondering how on Earth they even managed to get to this point with how apprehensive they both were. He squeezed Wally’s hand, securing their hold on each other and resting his own free hand on Wally’s forearm. “Of course it’s okay.” _

_ Wally’s smile was blinding, all hesitance gone. His eyes were shining, dark and green and wonderful, and so deep that Dick must have been falling into them, because he was moving closer to Wally now than he had all night.  _

_ His fingers toyed at the edge of Wally’s jacket, the fabric light and cold through his gloves. Wally had never needed a thick jacket, and it was something Dick envied every winter as he wrapped layer after layer around himself. Now, though, he counted it as a blessing as Wally’s body heat radiated through the fabric and warmed his hand. _

_ The weird invisible barrier that been between them all night was gone now, that simple moment breaking the tension and letting Dick shove down that thing in his chest that kept him from reaching out. _

_ He had unspoken permission now, the look on Wally’s face telling him everything he needed to know. _

_ He’d almost caught up to Wally’s height at this point. The competitive spirit in him wanted to breach those last two inches just to hold it over him someday, but in this particular moment he was okay with being a little shorter. It wasn’t much, but it was just enough that when he moved even closer, Wally had to duck his head to follow him.  _

_ Which gave Dick the perfect opportunity to shove his cold nose directly into the crook of Wally’s neck.  _

~~~

“So, how’re Jai and Irey?”

The bridge they’re on is long and quiet, the stillness of not-quite rush hour only broken by the occasional car rumbling by. They’d both tossed their coffee cups a while back, now opting to hold hands as they come to a halt in the middle of the bridge.

The proud smile on Wally’s lips answers the question before he even opens his mouth. “They’re good. Finally growing at a normal pace now.”

“How old-?”

“Fourteen.”

Dick frowns. “Shit, didn’t you only have them… what, four years ago?”

Wally sighs, leaning on the railing of the bridge and watching the water flow beneath them. “Yeah. The Speedforce is great in some ways, in others… regardless, they’re finally living a normal life. Well, as normal as a kid hero and a former kid hero can live, anyway.”

“Oh right…” Dick had heard about that fiasco from Roy. What they’d gone through, and what Irey had done to save her brother. “How’s Jai dealing with that?”

“As well as a teenager with a superhero sister and divorced parents can deal with it.”

Dick lets out a slow breath, puffing his cheeks out. “That… can’t be easy on your end.”

Wally shrugs. “No, but nothing about our life has been easy. You get used to it. I’m just glad I get to see them grow.”

It’s a simple thing for Dick to lay his hand over Wally’s, squeezing gently. His fingers are warm even when pressed against the cold metal railing. Dick will never cease to be amazed at how warm Wally has always been.

“I’m glad too.”

Wally turns to him, a soft smile toying at his lips. He squeezes back, hearing everything that Dick means behind those words. “How’s Mar’i? I can’t believe I haven’t met her. Is she with Kori today?”

“Yeah.” Dick nods, a proud smile on his lips that he’s sure mirrors Wally’s. “She’s… a little firecracker.”

Wally snorts and rolls his eyes. “Of course.”

“It’s true!” Dick can’t help chuckling at his own bad joke. “She’s spectacular.”

“That’s what every dad thinks about his kids.”

“No no, just you wait til you meet her. You’ll see.”

Wally throws his head back with laughter, and Dick can’t help appreciating how his shaggy ginger bangs fall away from his face. There’s something warm and comfortable in his chest, despite the chill of the air around them, and the longer he looks at Wally the stronger that feeling grows.

“I’m sure she is, babe! I’m not disagreeing with you, I’m just saying.”

Dick blinks, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. “Did you just call me ‘babe’?”

Wally pauses, his lips pursed in surprise, then shrugs. “I… Yeah, I guess. Kinda slipped out. Is that weird? To already be saying that… again?”

Weird isn’t how Dick would describe it. Unexpected? Sure. Dizzying? Yeah, that works. But weird? Not quite. It’s almost like he’s used to it. It took him to a second to even register that Wally had said it, the word feels that familiar.

“No, I don’t think so.” Dick looks down at their hands, still linked together, resting on the cold metal railing. “I mean, our relationship isn’t exactly…  _ normal _ , by any means, is it? So, what’s weird for us?”

“That’s… a very good question.”

Dick leans into Wally’s side, smiling when Wally’s head knocks against his own in automatic response. They stare down at the water for a while, both a little lost in thought as they ponder their situation. Dick had never really thought about being… here. Sure, over the years, he thought about Wally. He thought about their history and how he was doing and if he should - could - send him a message or something. He’d get a pang in his chest every time he was reminded of an old inside joke, or when he passed one of their old haunts in Gotham. 

But now they were together again - both literally and emotionally. Every time he even  _ looked  _ at Wally, a ghost of that nostalgia rushed through him. As if this isn’t actually happening. As if Wally isn’t here, and he’s just lost in a memory as he stares at something painfully familiar. 

But this  _ is  _ happening. This is  _ real _ . And Dick really isn’t sure how to navigate this strange place they’ve found themselves in. 

“Okay.” Dick finally breaks the silence, his voice soft and almost getting lost under the sound of running water beneath them. “How about this…”

Wally turns to face him. “I’m listening.”

“We take this as it comes.” Dick starts, gesturing between them. “We used to date, so it’s natural that we fall back into some habits. We don’t question them.”

“Even though you just did-”

“Shut up, I’m planning here.”

Wally grins, raising his free hand in surrender and gesturing for Dick to continue.

Dick huffs, flicking Wally’ in the shoulder before starting again. “Anything… new, we talk about. Anything old that shouldn’t come back, we talk about. Our lives are different now, this isn’t going to be the same as it was before.”

“It kind of feels the same though, doesn’t it?”

Wally catches his eye again, his voice deep and quiet in it’s hesitance. Dick’s heart stutters at the sound, his mind flashing back to the first time Wally had ever asked him something like that. His tongue flicks out to wet his bottom lip, most of the freckles faded from his cheeks, which aren’t as rosy as they had been. But the anticipation in his gaze is exactly the same, and Dick feels like he’s falling. 

“Better.”

The smile on Wally’s lips could outshine the sun, and Dick can’t help but lean in to catch them with his own. The kiss is soft, and sweet, and perfect in that moment. 

Fuck planning. They’ll figure it out as they go along. 

~~~

_ “Shit! You’re freezing, dude.” Wally, flinching in response to Dick’s cold skin on his, sounded mildly disappointed, but he curled his arms around Dick’s shoulders regardless.  _

_ “Not all of us burn with the heat of a thousand suns twenty-four-seven.” Dick replied, his breath wetting the crook of Wally’s neck beneath his mouth. He wound his arms around Wally’s slim waist and settled comfortably into the chest of his best friend.  _

_ “Fair enough.” _

_ Wally buried his face into Dick’s hair, nuzzling his temple a little, and the sensation has Dick gripping a little tighter at the back of Wally’s jacket. They were standing in the middle of a mostly empty street, holding onto each other like they never wanted to let go, under the pretense of sharing a little body heat. It was dumb, and weird, and very, very them. And Dick felt like maybe this whole thing didn’t have to be such a big thing after all.  _

_ “Wally?”  _

_ “Yeah?” _

_ Dick pulled away just enough to look at him, swallowing the lump in his throat. Wally was looking at him, green eyes curious and warm just like the rest of him, and Dick felt no need to hesitate when he spoke.  _

_ “Kiss me?” _

_ Wally’s small gasp lasted about a millisecond before he was swooping in, Dick leaning into his touch as their lips finally met.  _

_ For as quick as Wally was to move, they didn’t crash into each other. It was gentle, and Wally held him like a china doll he was afraid to shatter, so Dick was the one to pull them closer and cling a little tighter. Wally’s hands came to rest on either side of his neck, the heat of his palms sending shivers down Dick’s spine.  _

_ It was soft, and sweet, and perfect.  _

_ Dick didn’t know where this relationship was going. He didn’t know if they were meant to be, or if they could make this work. He sure as hell didn’t know if they would be like this forever.  _

_ All he knew in that moment was that Wally was warm, and here, and all his.  _

_ Fuck it. They’d figure it out as they went along. _


	3. The Few Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A morning-after turns into more that Dick and Wally had bargained for. Not that they're complaining.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You're one of the few things that I'm sure of  
> You're one of the few things that I know already  
> I could build my world of"

The smell of coffee and cinnamon drifting into the bedroom is what finally rouses him from slumber. The scent trickles through the open door, the quiet sizzles and pops of something frying prodding at his mind until he cracks open a bleary eye. Dick rolls onto his stomach and smiles goofily into his pillow. There’s comfort in knowing that when he gets out of bed, he won’t have to look far for that familiar mop of red hair he loves so much.

Dick shivers when he throws off the duvet, tip-toeing over cold hardwood to his dresser and pulling on a thick sweater and socks. His apartment is always cold this time of year, especially in the morning, and at this point he’s given up on figuring out what the hell is wrong with his thermostat. He shuffles quietly through the living room, snagging the throw off the back of the couch as he goes and wrapping it around his shoulders. 

“It’s fucking freezing in here.”

Wally doesn’t even turn around to face him as he flips something in the frying pan, but Dick can hear him snickering. “Good morning to you too, sunshine.”

Dick doesn’t know how Wally can be standing in his frigid kitchen in just a pair of boxer-briefs, but he’s not complaining as he molds himself against Wally’s warm back, resting his chin on his shoulder. He peeks down at the stove in front of them. “When did you learn how to make french toast?”

Wally shrugs. “Around the time I had kids and discovered that sugar is the best way to get them to eat in the morning.”

“That can’t be healthy.”

“Coming from the guy with four boxes of Lucky Charms in his cupboard and nothing else.”

Dick pulls away, smacking Wally’s ass in retribution as he walks past him to the coffee machine. “They’re magically delicious!”

Wally scoffs. “They’re gonna give you diabetes.”

“If colourful marshmallows are how I go, then that’s how I go, Walls.”

“That’s the most ‘Dick Grayson’ thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

Dick smiles into his steaming cup of coffee, sipping gingerly. “I’ve gotten some practice at being me in the past few years.”

Wally rolls his eyes, laughing despite himself. He turns the heat on the stove down to low and places a lid over the pan, leaning against the counter. “How’d you sleep?”

“Okay. Better than I have in a while, to be honest.” He places his mug on the counter beside him and hops up to sit on the cold marble surface, grateful that he’d kept his sweatpants on through the night. “I think I actually got a full five hours.”

“Five hours?” Wally asks. He closes the few feet of distance between them. “We didn’t even stay up that late and you still only slept  _ five  _ hours?” 

Dick smiles and leans his forearms on Wally’s shoulders, linking his fingers together behind his head. “You forget how hard it is for my body to relax.”

“I dunno…” He weasels his way between Dick’s knees, leaning in and nuzzling gently at the crook of his neck. “I think I’m pretty re-acquainted with your body by now.”

Dick hums in appreciation. He tilts his head lazily to the side, closing his eyes at the sensation. “You’re not wrong… But I think you’re still a little rusty.”

“Rusty?” Wally nips at Dick’s earlobe, trailing his lips along his jawline so lightly it almost tickles. “I take offense to that.”

Dick laughs and runs his fingers through Wally’s soft curls. “You just need more practice, that’s all.” 

Wally pulls back abruptly, giving Dick a skeptical look. “ _ Practice? _ ”

“Yeah.” He grins. It’s so easy to rile Wally up sometimes. “What, afraid you’re that bad?”

“No.”

“Then what’s the harm in a little warm up?”

Wally scoffs. “Alright, you wanna practice-”

Before Dick can take another breath, it gets knocked out of him. He finds himself pressed into leather couch cushions, hands pinned over his head.

“-let’s  _ practice _ .”

Dick gasps, laughing as his mind tries to catch up. After a few seconds, he eyes come into focus and Wally’s smug smile is hovering inches above him. “Did you take a second to turn the stove off?”

“Like, half a second.”

“Safety first.” 

Dick wriggles his hands free, throwing his arms around Wally’s neck to pull him in for a kiss that goes from eager to desperate in less time than it took to get there. Wally’s hands trail fire across his skin as he pushes up the woolen sweater Dick’s wearing, searching for more contact. He’s everywhere, taking over all of his senses, and Dick gets lost in the warmth and weight of Wally’s body on his. He doesn’t have much work to do himself, his own clothes and Wally’s boxer-briefs the only things between them, and he thinks Wally has the situation handled pretty well.

Wally’s just found that sweet spot under his jaw, after throwing Dick’s sweater across the room, when something starts to invade the fog of desire that’s clouding Dick’s mind. It’s a sound - a loud sound. Dick’s grimaces, finally tuning in and realizing that the buzzer is going off by his front door. 

“Expecting company today?” Wally murmurs, mouthing down the column of Dick’s neck to his collarbone. 

“I don’t… think so…” Dick says breathily, wracking his brain to remember why someone would be here. “What day is it?”

“Uh… Friday?”

“Friday…” It takes him maybe five seconds longer than it should have before he’s sitting up so abruptly that he knocks Wally onto the other side of the couch. “It’s  _ Friday!? _ ”

Wally catches himself before he topples over completely, looking a little wild with his hair disheveled and pupils blown. “Yeah, why?”

“Shit!” Dick groans and launches himself over the back of the couch. He slips a little, his fluffy socks gaining no traction on the hardwood floor as he hurries to the front door, hitting the button on the buzzer with a little more force than necessary. “Hello?”

“HI DADDY!” 

“Hi sweetie!” Dick turns back to the living room to see Wally bolt upright, eyes wide. “Hey Kori. You guys come on up!”

“Thank you, Dick,” A sweet, familiar voice crackles through the speaker, interrupting the childish babbling in the background. “See you in a minute!”

Dick takes his finger off the button and whirls around, sliding back across the room to grab his sweater from where it had been tossed haphazardly on the floor. “ _ Shit! _ I completely forgot, it’s my weekend with Mar’i!”

Wally runs a hand through his wild curls. “Should I… uh…”

“Put some pants on!” Dick grabs him by the arm and shoves him towards the bedroom. “My kid is gonna be here in like two minutes.”

“Oh!” It takes Wally less time to change than it does for Dick to even get to the bathroom and try to wrangle his sweaty bed-head into something less incriminating. He zips over to stand in the doorway, watching Dick struggle in the mirror. “So… you want me to stay?”

Dick turns around, giving up on the bird’s nest on top of his head and looking at Wally fondly. “I mean, it’s been a month. You were gonna have to meet her soon, anyway.”

Wally’s put on one of Dick’s BPD t-shirts and a loose pair of sweats, leaning awkwardly against the doorframe. He looks sheepish and a little nervous. Dick cups his cheek, and Wally leans into his touch automatically. “You sure it’s okay?”

“I want you to be here.”

Before Wally can respond with anything more than a grateful smile, the front door opens with a bang, followed by the loud cry of an excited two year old. 

“Daaaddy! Daddy?”

“Hey kiddo!” Dick calls out, giving Wally a ‘too late to back out now’ look before stepping around him and out of the bathroom.

“ _ Daddy! _ ” Mar’i shouts when she sees her father, long black curls bouncing as she jumps up and down with her arms in the air. 

Dick slides across the floor, purposefully this time, and scoops his daughter up when she starts to float on her last jump. He spins her around a few times, big smiles on both their faces when he brings her in for a cuddle.

“You would think I kidnapped her for a month with how excited she’s been to see you.” Kori’s teasing lilt brings a bigger smile to Dick’s lips, and when he opens his free arm for a hug, she steps into it gladly. 

“Yeah I can tell, did she break my lock?” He laughs, giving Kori a squeeze before letting her go. 

“Just the chain, not the bolt. You didn’t come to the door fast enough, apparently.” She raises both eyebrows in concern. “Is everything alright?”

Dick laughs a little sheepishly. “Yeah, all good! Sorry, I just have some company today.”

“Oh?” Kori blinks in surprise. Her expression is almost confused, and she opens her mouth to say something but looks past him suddenly instead. “Oh. Hello Wally.”

When Dick turns around, Wally’s leaning against the back of the couch. He gives Kori a wave that’s only a little awkward, one hand shoved in his pocket. “Hey Kori. How’s it goin’?”

“Very well, thank you. Yourself?” 

“Great! Yeah.” Wally glances at Dick, who just shrugs and tries to smother the grin that’s threatening to spread across his face. Wally’s scrambling for words and Dick is thoroughly enjoying it. “Uh. So, you’re dropping the little one off today?”

“Yes, it’s Richard’s weekend with her.”

At that, Dick remembers that he’s got a toddler squirming in his arms and smacking his cheek, vying for his attention. “What’s up, sweet pea?”

Mar’i’s big green eyes are furious and wondrous all at once, and she throws her arm out to point at Wally in accusatory fashion. “Who?”

Dick snags her tiny finger and wiggles it around a little, which makes her laugh. “Well, _ first of all, _ little missy, it’s not nice to point. Okay?”

“ _ Who?” _

“Mar’i...?”

“kay…”

He smiles. “Good girl. This is Wally, he’s a friend of mine.”

“Hi Mar’i.” Wally finally gets up from his weird half-lean against the couch, walking over to stand next to Dick and waving at the little girl in his arms. “It’s nice to finally meet you!”

Mar’i looks at her parents for approval, and when they both nod, she gives Wally a big smile and waves enthusiastically. “Hi!”

“You guys are just in time, Wally’s making french toast for breakfast!” Dick doesn’t miss Kori’s glance between himself and Wally, nor does he miss Wally purposefully not looking in Kori’s direction. “Did you wanna stick around for a bit, Kor?”

“I would, but I’ve got a few errands to run this morning and then I’m meeting up with the Teen Titans for a quick training session this afternoon.” Kori declines, dropping the baby bag she’s been carrying to the floor. “But thank you! Perhaps another time?”

“We’d love that.” Dick says earnestly, bouncing Mar’i into a more secure position on his hip. 

“So would I.” Kori smiles, pressing a gentle kiss to Mar’i’s cheek. “I’ll be heading out now. You’re going to be a good girl for your daddy this weekend, right Starshine?” 

“Right!” Mar’i wriggles in Dick’s arms, leaning towards her mother.

Kori takes her from him easily and gives her a big squeeze. “Alright, you guys have fun!” She puts Mar’i down on the floor instead of handing her back to her father. “Dick, would you mind walking me out?”

“Sure.” Dick nods. “Mar’i, do you want to help Wally finish up breakfast?”

Mar’i looks up curiously at Dick, then Wally, who smiles. She looks at her mom one last time, and getting another nod of approval, she reaches up and takes hold of Wally’s index finger. “Okay!”

“Good girl!” Dick grins, watching Wally’s heart melt right then and there when Mar’i gives him a toothy smile. “I’ll be right back, don’t eat all that food without me.”

“No promises!”

Dick has no concerns about the two as he and Kori walk to the front door, but the Tamaranian herself doesn’t seem as sure. She glances towards the kitchen several times on their way. Dick notices the broken chain dangling from the lock, making a mental note to replace it with something a little sturdier next time. Though, not much could hold up against his daughter’s super-strength if she really put her mind to it.

“Everything okay?” Dick asks as they come up to the door.

Kori sighs, shifting her purse into a more secure position on her shoulder and stepping out into the hallway. “Dick…”

He frowns. “What’s wrong?”

“I know we aren’t together anymore, and that is for the best. I have no qualms about how you spend your free time, or who you spend it with…”

“...where’s this going, Kori?”

“We have a child together, and while I have no reason to question your private life… well,” She pauses, looking up at the ceiling as if trying to find her thoughts there. “I know your history with Wally.”

Dick cocks an eyebrow. “And…?”

“And it didn’t end well last time.”

“I don’t think any relationship ends  _ well _ , does it?”

“You know what I mean.”

“Do I?”

Kori gives Dick a frustrated look that he knows well. He knows he’s being a little difficult, but he’s not entirely sure why she’s bringing this up. “Mar’i is at a very delicate stage in her life right now. She needs consistency, and with parents who are no longer together, that’s not an easy thing to find.”

“I’m well aware of that, thanks.” Dick doesn’t want to sound annoyed, but he doesn’t appreciate the way Kori’s grilling him right now.

“Dick… are you and Wally seriously involved?” Kori murmurs, stepping closer and keeping her voice low. 

It takes him a second to swallow the lump that rises in his throat at that question. When he finally answers, his tone is more sure than he was expecting. “Yes.”

Kori’s intense green eyes flicker as they search his for any sign of doubt. Dick holds her gaze, determined to end the conversation somewhere concrete. Seeming satisfied by his answer, she nods and steps back. “Okay. Just be careful, then. You know I trust you, but I do not want Mar’i getting attached to someone who won’t be a permanent figure in her life.”

“This isn’t a sudden thing, Kori. We’re…” Dick sighs, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. “We’re making it work this time.” 

The smile is slow to form on her lips, but it does, and Dick finds himself smiling back before he realizes it. “I’m glad to hear that. He has always been a good man. I just hope he’s good to you.”

“He is.”

“He better be.” 

They laugh together at that. Dick knows that Kori would defend his honour the same way he would hers, neither of them needing to say it aloud. When he extends both arms for another hug, Kori squeezes him almost tight enough to crack a rib. No matter what their relationship was, the two of them would always love each other and Dick knows that will never change. 

“You have fun this weekend, okay?” Kori says, pulling away for the last time. 

“Ever any doubt?” Dick grins. He leans against the doorframe and watches her head down the hall. 

“I’ll see you on Monday then, dear.”

“‘til we meet again.”

They grin at each other one last time as Kori steps into the elevator. Dick shuts the door, grimacing as a doorknob-shaped hole reveals itself in the drywall. He makes another mental note to fix that too. He’s really gotta babyproof this place. 

Well,  _ Mar’i  _ proof it. Now that she’s mobile and starting to  _ fly _ , he’s really gotta collaborate with Kori on exactly how to… handle that. 

Dick is a little lost in thought about how on earth he’s going to handle parenting a super-strong, half-alien  _ teenager  _ someday, when he hears an hysterical squeal burst from the other room. Turning the corner, he comes into the kitchen to find Mar’i sitting up on the counter, much like he had been doing earlier. She’s clapping excitedly as Wally flips a slice of french toast high in the air, catching it in the frying pan with practiced ease. Dick has a moment of panic at the idea of Mar’i sitting on the edge like that, but then he remembers that Wally would catch her in an instant if she fell. Wally’s been a dad longer than he has. Dick trusts that he’s got as much instinct as he does speed.

The rest of the morning goes by in a blur. Wally decides to stick around for the afternoon, playing tag with Mar’i as Dick does the dishes, who had insisted. It was only fair, since Wally had made breakfast. Mar’i takes to Wally almost instantly, giggling and running around the apartment in her little pink socks. Wally pretends he can’t keep up, collapsing in the middle of the living room and complaining loudly that Mar’i is simply too fast for the Fastest Man Alive. 

Dick opens his mouth to insist that Barry Allen isn’t here, but manages to catch himself at the very last moment.

Barry  _ isn’t  _ here anymore. 

He’d died six years ago. Wally really is the Fastest Man Alive now. 

Dick leans back against the edge of the sink, drying his hands on a dish towel and watching his daughter jump on Wally’s stomach like it’s a bouncy castle. Wally just takes it, his exaggerated groan making Mar’i laugh even harder. 

Wally probably has more experience with kids than he’d thought, Dick realizes. When Barry had died, the twins Don and Dawn had already been born. Wally probably spent a lot of time with them and his aunt back then, watching the kids as Iris grieved. 

A pang of regret shoots through Dick’s chest. He’d found out about Barry’s death from Bruce. He remembers his conflict over contacting Wally, his finger hovering over the ‘call’ button too many times but never following through. He’d convinced himself that Wally wouldn’t want to hear from his ex while he was grieving. Dick didn’t want to make things any more complicated than they’d needed to be.

Now, Dick watches his… boyfriend. He’s playing with Dick’s daughter in the middle of his apartment, six years older, careful and caring but always fun, and Dick wants to kick himself for all their lost time. Who knows where they would be now if they’d just… figured things out. 

But then, he thinks, that little girl squealing in Wally’s arms wouldn’t exist, and Dick simply can’t bear the thought. So he smiles, bittersweet, at the scene before him, and decides he’s okay with what they have. 

When a tuckered out Mar’i finally dozes off on Dick’s chest, they’ve all migrated to the couch. Mar’i had decided that they were watching Moana and nothing else, and neither adult wanted to argue with a tired toddler at that point. Wally grabs the remote and turns down the volume, letting ‘You’re Welcome’ go on quietly in the background.

Dick plays with the perfect ringlets of black hair falling on his chest, watching his daughter’s back rise and fall steadily with every breath. Mar’i might have Kori’s eyes, and the curls might be hers too, but that midnight dark colour is all Grayson. He’s kind of glad some part of him shows through, with how much she still resembles Kori. He wonders sometimes who she’s going to take after more when she gets older. It’s still too early to tell at this point, but he knows she’s got enough spirit from the both of them to take on the world. 

“She’s got your nose.”

Dick looks up to find Wally smiling affectionately, watching them from his spot at the other end of the couch. His legs are stretched out beside Dick, who’s got his toes tucked under Wally’s thighs for warmth. Dick had placed a blanket over all three of them at the beginning of the movie but Wally had thrown it off himself after about ten minutes. Now, he sits up and wraps it more securely around Mar’i’s sleeping form. 

“She does?”

Wally nods, smiling down at the toddler. “Yeah. I noticed it earlier. It does the little scrunchie thing when she laughs, like yours does.”

“Little scrunchie thing?” Dick fights the urge to look cross-eyed at his own nose. 

“Yeah.”

“I didn’t know I did that.”

“Well, you do.” Wally says. He rests his elbow on the back of the couch, leaning his cheek into his palm. “You were right, by the way.”

“Of course I was.” Dick rolls his eyes. “About what?”

Wally laughs quietly, as to not wake Mar’i. “She’s a little firecracker.”

“Oh.” Dick smiles. He tucks a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his smile growing a little wider when Mar’i grumbles in her sleep and curls herself further into the crook of his arm. “Yeah, she is, isn’t she?” 

“It’s a good thing I don’t get tired easily, she would’ve wiped the floor with me otherwise.”

“She’s worn me out a few times, I’ll admit. I don’t know where she gets the energy from.”

“You.”

Dick cocks an eyebrow. “Me?”

“Yeah.” Wally says. “Bruce used to tell Barry that he was lucky he got super-speed  _ before  _ he got a nephew and not the other way around, or he’d never keep up.”

“Bruce never told me that.” 

“He said the same thing to me when I had the twins. Said the the only time he ever got a good night’s sleep was when you were a kid. You tired him out by the end of every day.”

Dick swallows the lump that threatens to rise in his throat, getting a little sentimental. He never knew that. He supposes Bruce didn’t want him to know, for whatever convoluted reason. It doesn’t surprise him. Still, he decides that Bruce has to deal with a two-minute hug the next time he stops by for a visit. 

“I’m sure it’s got something to do with the Tamaranian in her too,” Wally continues, “but I think that Flying Grayson acrobat energy is genetically impossible to override.”

Dick can’t help but laugh. “Won’t argue with that.”

Wally nods and chuckles under his breath. They both go quiet for a while after that, their attention shifting to the movie. Mar’i sleeps soundly through it all. It’s only when they get to the part when Gramma Tala’s spirit comes to Moana that Wally finally speaks again. 

“So, what did Kori want to talk about, earlier?”

Dick turns to him, tearing his eyes from the screen. It takes a second for the question to register. 

“Uh.” Dick sighs, not sure how to answer. He leans his head back against the arm of the couch and stares up at the ceiling. “Us.”

“Us?”

“You and me.”

“I gathered, thanks.” Dick can feel Wally rolling his eyes at him. “What do you mean?”

“She… she wanted to know if we were… serious, I guess.”

“Oh. Are we?”

Dick blinks, then lifts his head to look at Wally warily. “I told her we were. Are we not-?”

“No! I-” Wally clamps a hand over his mouth at his outburst, both of them staring down at Mar’i to see if she would wake. She doesn’t, and after a minute Wally continues in a softer tone. “Yes, we are. I mean, I am. I just wasn’t sure if that’s what you wanted.”

“It is.”

“Okay.”

It takes a second of staring at each other in mild apprehension and awkwardness before they’re both bursting into quiet laughter. It’s easy to let the tension slip away. 

Wally shakes his head, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth in an attempt to suppress his giggles. “I think we keep forgetting that we’ve done this before.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever done  _ this  _ before.” Dick gestures between them. “The last time we dated we were kids. Now we  _ have  _ kids.”

“True.” Wally shrugs. “I don’t think it’s all that different, though.”

“No?”

“Nah.” 

“How come?”

He shrugs again. “I dunno. Things are… easy with you. Always have been.”

“You know that’s not true.”

They go silent again, and Dick wants to kick himself for saying that. They both know well enough that things aren’t always easy. Wally was just trying to be sweet. 

“Hey.” Wally grabs his ankle suddenly, bringing Dick out of his head. “Don’t brood.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t. Brood.” Wally’s poking his calf now. “It’s fine.”

Dick grimaces. “I didn’t mean to-”

“ _ Babe _ .” The nickname shuts him up as fast Wally had probably intended. Wally shifts his hand, squeezing Dick’s knee. “Shit happened. A long time ago. We don’t have to linger on it, okay?”

Wally’s nonchalance towards the whole thing - the break up, the distance, the years between then and now - has Dick releasing the tension he didn’t realize he was holding in his shoulders. He sighs, leaning his head to the side and resting it against the couch cushions, watching Wally’s expression. He’s sweet, but stern in his desire for them to move past all their shit. All their complications. All their fuck-ups. 

Dick wonders if they should go through it all. Talk about it. Wally doesn’t seem to want to, and right now probably isn’t the best time to do it. Dick certainly doesn’t  _ want  _ to, but he already has enough of an issue with ignoring his problems. 

“Okay.”

Wally squeezes his knee again, and Dick finds himself smiling despite his internal struggle.

They’ll talk about it another time. 


	4. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was crying - literal, heaving sobs - the entire time I was writing this. So as you're reading it, just know that the pain was felt on both sides.
> 
> The italics are the flashback, just a disclaimer. Enjoy <3
> 
> ~~~~
> 
> "Something in the way you move  
> Makes me feel like I can't live without you  
> It takes me all the way  
> I want you to stay"

_ Nightwing entered the apartment through the living room window. The latch was easy to flick open, the motion down to muscle memory. He slipped inside gracefully, boots landing soundlessly on the hardwood floor.  _

_ The room was dark. Wally hadn’t come home yet. Dick closed the window behind him, slipping off his gloves and peeling off his mask, dropping them on the coffee table as he passed by. Stepping through the room in the dark was easy, the placement of every piece of furniture imprinted in his mind. Finding a glass in the cupboard was natural, something he’d done countless times in the middle of the night. The only thing to cause a frown was how the tap stuttered when he turned the knob. Like water hadn’t run through it recently. He filled the glass, sipping lightly as he leaned against the door frame, peering out into the shadows of his home.  _

_ It was meant to be his home, but he hadn’t been there in weeks. Staying in Gotham was hard, but with Bruce’s behaviour and Tim taking on the Robin mantle, it had been necessary. Staying away that long had been… necessary.  _

_ As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Dick started to notice things. Like how the dining room table was in exactly the same state as it had been when he left, weeks ago. Like how the couch looked full and unruffled, no sign anyone had sat there recently. Treading into the bedroom, Dick’s throat went dry when he saw the bed made.  _

_ Wally never made the bed. Dick did that before he left.  _

_ A month ago. _

_ Hearing the click of a lock, Dick tore his eyes from the flat sheets and fluffed pillows. A light flicked on in the front hall, and he squinted at the sudden brightness. Wally’s familiar shape faced away from him, hanging his keys on a hook like he did that every day. Like he had been staying there while Dick was away.  _

_ Dick knew better than to believe that. _

_ Wally turned around, tensing when he saw Dick’s form standing a few feet away. _

_ “Hey.” _

_ Dick stepped closer, placing his glass on the end table with a ‘thunk’ that was far too final for his liking. “Hi.” _

_ “Standing around in the dark again?” _

_ Dick shrugged. “You know it doesn’t make a difference to me.” _

_ Wally nodded, his hands shoved in his pockets. He hadn’t taken his jacket off yet. “Right.” _

_ The silence between them was so deafening it made his ears ring. Dick swallowed hard, something in his chest beginning to feel heavy and sharp.  _

_ He didn’t want to think of it as his heart breaking.  _

_ “You’ve been staying in Central, then?”  _

_ Wally wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Helping Aunt I with the twins.” _

_ “Right.” Dick fiddled with the edge of his glass, leaning back against the edge of the couch. There was so much distance between them. Dick wanted to close the gap and bury his face in Wally’s neck, to breathe in the scent of ‘home’ for the first time in what felt like forever.  _

_ But the distance wasn’t just physical.  _

_ “You didn’t tell me.” _

_ “Didn’t want you to worry.” _

_ “I wouldn’t-” _

_ “You would’ve over-thought it.” Wally sighed, one hand slipping out of his pocket to rub at the back of his neck. “I just… I couldn’t be here. Without you.” _

_ Dick closed his eyes, willing away the warmth he could feel behind them. That wasn’t happening. Not yet. “You’ve been here without me before, it’s not like-” _

_ “It’s not the same. You know that.” _

_ Wally was looking at him now, but Dick couldn’t see his expression with the light of the hallway illuminating his form from behind. He supposed he must be completely visible, the yellow light falling on his face the same way it did the rest of the room. It was only then that he noticed the thin layer of dust starting to settle on a picture frame.  _

_ The image mocked him. The two of them, young and cheeky and best friends forever. Happy, childish grins gleamed back at him, carving a hole in his gut the longer he stared at it. It was a good memory. Why did it hurt so bad to think about it? _

_ “So.” Dick’s breath shook with the effort it took to speak. He bit down on his tongue for a moment, then inhaled painfully deep to steady himself. “Is this it?” _

_ Wally’s head dropped, and Dick could see his grip tighten on the back of his neck, even in the dark. “I don’t…” _

_ “Are we doing this now?” _

_ Wally lets out a strangled breath, this time moving to stare up at the ceiling. Dick didn’t know if it made him feel any better than Wally was also struggling to speak. “I guess, if it’s… for the best.” _

_ “That’s what we agreed.” _

_ “Right.” _

_ A month. While Dick was away, for a month, they’d decided to take a break. Things were already tense before, with bills and jobs and school. With Dick never sure about where he was going. With Wally dropping the hero life. With Jason’s death hanging so heavily over them both. They’d decided, before things got out of hand, to take a break. Together. And if by the end of that month, things hadn’t changed, then... _

_ In the very beginning, they’d sworn that no matter what happened, they’d always stay best friends. That would never change. And it hadn’t. They were still best friends, even after seven years of dating, Dick still thought of Wally as his best friend, first and foremost.  _

_ Now, with Wally standing there tense and shaking in front of him, Dick didn’t want to think of him that way. Dick wanted to love him without the history. He wanted to love him for everything they had now, forget every ‘dude’ and ‘bro’ tossed back and forth over years of pining. Dick wanted to love him as a lover, to hell with it all. _

_ But the thought of his likeness standing alone in that picture set his stomach on edge.  _

_ Best friends. Forever. That came first.  _

_ And if that meant that they broke up, to distance themselves and preserve what they had left, then so be it.  _

_ Dick gripped the cushion behind him so tightly it hurt, to ground himself. He couldn’t look at Wally again. He knew that something inside him would break if he did. “I’ll… arrange someone to sublet. Shouldn’t take long.” _

_ He couldn’t tell if it was a laugh or a scoff that ripped itself from Wally’s throat. “That’s what you’re thinking about? Now?” _

_ “What else do you want me to-” _

_ “Fuck, Dick, we’re  _ breaking up. _ ” Hearing the words out loud, from Wally’s mouth no less, sent the taste of bile to the back of his tongue. “Could we at least do that first before you start moving out?” _

_ Dick dug the heels of his palms into his burning eyes, trying to will away whatever was threatening to tear itself out from his chest. “I don’t-... I don’t know how to, Wally.” _ _  
_ _ “You think I do?” _

_ Dick didn’t expect Wally to move closer, to close the horrible distance between them. He shuddered when Wally finally touched him, his fingers so gentle against his cheek that Dick wished he’d slapped him instead. That would’ve made it so much easier. “This isn’t… I never-” _

_ “I know. Me too.” Wally knocked their foreheads together, his breath ghosting over Dick’s lips. “But I love you too much to lose you forever.” _

_ The tears finally spilled over, his chest shaking with a strangled sob as he dropped his head against Wally’s chest. “It doesn’t-... we don’t have to-” _

_ “We do.” Wally sighed, the sound heavy in his chest. Dick hated it when Wally was the voice of reason. “You know we do. This isn’t working anymore.” _

_ Dick didn’t argue. He knew it wasn’t. He didn’t want to admit it, but he knew. If they wanted anything to be left of what they had, they had to do this.  _

_ Knowing that didn’t make it any easier.  _

_ “I love you.” It was barely a whisper, his lips brushing against the soft flannel of Wally’s shirt, but the shuddering breath Wally took told Dick that he heard him.  _

_ “We’ll-...” The words seemed to die in his throat, so Wally tried again. “We’ll still see each other.” _

_ Dick nodded, not trusting his own voice.  _

_ “This isn’t goodbye.” _

_ Dick shook his head. It wasn’t. It couldn’t be.  _

_ “It’s just… ‘see you later.’”  _

_ “See you later…” _

_ “Right.” _

_ Dick swallowed down the growing lump in his throat, lifting his head to finally look at Wally. Emerald eyes - his favourite eyes in the world - were bloodshot. Shining with a wetness he was sure his own mirrored. The look on Wally’s face made Dick want to kiss him so hard it would make all of this go away. _

_ He knew it wouldn’t.  _

_ “Can we… Can I…?” _

_ Wally nodded before he could finish the question, closing those last few inches between them in a kiss that Dick didn’t want to believe was their last. Dick melted against him, Wally’s lips wet and salty but still so unbelievably warm.  His arms, solid and strong around Dick’s waist, blazed with heat, his chest burning under Dick’s fingertips. Everything about him was warm, like sunlight.  _

_ You always knew, even when the sun went down, that you would feel that light again in the morning - constant and sure and always, always warm. Being with Wally was standing in sunlight. _

_ When Wally finally pulled away, Dick wondered if he’d ever feel warm again. _

_ Maybe it wasn’t the end of something, Dick told himself. Maybe it was a new beginning.  _

_ But as Wally took one step after the other, further and further away, before taking his key off the ring and placing it gently on the kitchen counter, Dick couldn’t help but feel like everything was crumbling around him. _

_ “See you later....” _

~~~~

Dick wakes up with a gasp, bolting upright in bed and clutching at his chest like his heart had been ripped out. It almost feels like it had been. It takes a moment, after slowing his breathing, to realize that his cheeks are wet. 

He wipes them on the edge of the sheet, and glances down at the form next to him. Wally sleeps soundly on his stomach, back rising and falling with every breath. Dick’s heart skips a beat just looking at him, his hand moving involuntarily to card his fingers through those shaggy ginger curls. 

The remnants of his dream, vivid and heart-wrenching as the memory itself, begin to fade as Dick lowers himself next to Wally again. He keeps his hand on him, shifting from the top of his head to stroke between his shoulder blades. Wally hums contently in his sleep, a lazy smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. Just from Dick’s touch. 

With thoughts of their past few months together, and Wally’s warm skin on his, Dick eventually begins to drift off again. 

It had been the end of something. They were different, back then, and they hadn’t worked out. Dick could see that now. But with Wally laying next to him now, both of them so much older and better off for it - but with each other again, against all odds - Dick knew.

_ This  _ was something new all together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so, so sorry.


	5. Only Us - Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dick and Wally's date day in Keystone.
> 
> Well. It's supposed to be, anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS, GALS, AND NON-BINARY PALS! WE ARE BACK IN BUSINESS!!!!!!
> 
> Thank you so much for your patience. This chapter is a BEAST and I must say, I have worked very, very hard to bring you some good content after such a long wait. This chapter is actually half of what it was intended to be -- I've broken it into two parts, because if I had left it at one it would've actually been even longer than the first four chapters combined so. You see why I had to do this. Part One and Two both take place on the same day, Part Two being a continuation of Part One, rather than having some time between them the way that the previous chapters have been written. So keep that in mind when this chapter comes to an end.
> 
> That being said, Part Two is /so close/ to being finished that the next update should not be far off! It just needs some finals tweaks and it'll be ready for posting. 
> 
> A MASSIVE thank you to my incredible beta readers: Ash, Josh, and Artemis. You guys are amazing and I love you all to pieces for your help with this. I appreciate you all SO MUCH <333
> 
> I think that's everything I have to say about this chapter for now, so with that I will leave you to it. 
> 
> Enjoy!!!!! 
> 
> ***
> 
> "So what if it's us?  
> What if it's us  
> And only us  
> And what came before won't count anymore or matter?  
> Can we try that?"

Long distance relationships are not easy things, even for normal people. Sure, there’s skype, and texting, and even Snapchat these days (his kids would kill him if they found out he had it).  Even so, not being able to see your partner all the time is hard, especially when you both have days off but no way of getting to each other. It’s rough.

But for two full-time, single parent superheroes who live on opposite sides of the country?

Wally wonders how many times he’s counted his blessings for Zeta-tubes.

He thanks the universe for the umpteenth time when Dick opens the door of the old phone box disguising the Zeta. The blinding light fades behind him as he steps into the dimly lit alley where Wally waits, finally here in Keystone for the first time in years. It’s a little surreal, if he’s being honest.

Wally drinks in the sight of him. Dick’s wearing a worn leather jacket, one that Wally recognizes from their early twenties, over a floral button-down tucked into blue jeans with the cuffs rolled up. The duffle bag slung over his shoulder looks like there’s nothing in it from the ease with which he carries it. Dick is the picture of easy elegance, casual and stunning all at once.

Wally considers himself damn lucky.

“Hey gorgeous,” He calls out, pushing off from the brick wall where he’d been waiting and offering Dick a lopsided grin. “Come here often?”

Dick pauses in shutting the door behind him, but when he turns around there’s a knowing smile tugging at his lips. As if he wouldn’t recognize Wally’s voice. “Oh, only every decade or so.”

“Okay, too soon!” Wally laughs. He closes the distance between them, Dick meeting him halfway, and curls his arms tightly around Dick’s shoulders. A warm sensation fills his chest when Dick buries his face in his neck. “Missed you...”

“Missed you too.” Dick’s voice is muffled against Wally’s skin, but he makes no attempt to move away, fingers tangled in Wally’s sweater. Wally wouldn’t let him if he tried. “I’m glad to be here.”

They stand there for a few minutes, just holding each other and basking in the feeling of being together again. It’s been at least a month since they’ve seen each other in person and the distance was creating a tangible ache in Wally’s gut. Now that he knows what it’s like to have Dick back in his life, living it without him there every day is becoming harder and harder.

Wally pulls back, cupping Dick’s cheek and watching Dick’s gaze lift to meet his. Dick leans into his hold, lips tilted in a fond smile, and when he he turns his head to plant a light peck on Wally’s palm - that’s when the dam breaks. Wally winds his other arm around the small of Dick’s back, drags him closer, pressed tight to his chest, and kisses his boyfriend like a man starved.

It’s telling that Dick isn’t surprised in the slightest. His mouth is hungry and eager against Wally’s, insistent in a way that’s so damn familiar. Kissing Dick is like falling into bed at the end of a long day. It’s like the first sip of water after running a marathon. It’s home, and comfort, and relief, and searing heat and desire all at once.

Wally slips a hand into Dick’s hair, a bit stiff with product, and Dick only makes a small sound of disapproval - which Wally takes as a victory since he’s had his wrist slapped a few times for messing with Dick’s hair when it’s coiffed to perfection. Apparently Dick is too preoccupied at the moment to care that much, or maybe he’s mellowed out about it in his later years, but Wally finds himself smiling into the kiss all the same. He tugs a bit at the roots, nipping at Dick’s lower lip, and that’s when Dick finally pulls back.

“Don’t start what you can’t finish in an alley, West,” Dick chirps, bumping his nose into Wally’s, just a touch out of breath.

Wally waggles his eyebrows. “Is that a challenge, Grayson?”

Dick sputters out a laugh, dropping his head to Wally’s shoulder. “God, I know we’re still spry, but don’t you think we’re a bit too old for that now?”

“Who’re you calling old? I’m still in my prime.”

“You and your speedy genes, I’m already getting an ache in my knees.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know I’m mighty speedy wearing nothing at all.”

Dick boggles at him. “What?”

Wally grins. “You said I have speedy jeans. You of all people should know I’m much faster naked.”

Dick throws his head back and lets out the loudest sigh of exasperation, letting his knees give out from under him and forcing Wally to hold him up, laughing.

“Christ, you really are a dad now, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, I’ve always been this hilarious.”

They walk the short distance to Wally’s house from the Zeta, Wally insisting on being the gentleman and carrying Dick’s duffle for him despite his protests. It actually is lighter than he expects, but Dick is only staying for two nights after all. He’d asked Cass to watch Bludhaven while he’s away, something Wally knew took a lot for him to do. He’s grateful that Dick is putting in the effort to make changes like that, this time around.

And once again, here’s Wally thinking about their past.

They really do need to talk about it. Wally hadn’t wanted to bring it up over Facetime or through text, but they really, really do. And now that they’re together again, in person, he’s decided that they’re going to have a Talk. Sit down on the couch in their jammies with tea and blankets and just - hash it all out. It’s been long enough now that Wally is sick of avoiding it.

There’s a lot about their old relationship that Wally had loved. _Obviously_. He’d loved - still loves - Dick, so much that it’s a little frightening sometimes. But they’d had problems, and they’d broken up mutually because of it. Of course, that had lead to eight years of estrangement, by no fault of their own, really. But Wally doesn’t want that to happen again. Wally doesn’t want to lose Dick - to grieve like that all over again.

He knows it’s still early, technically, but… Wally’s already pretty much decided that Dick is it for him.

So they’re going to work through their old shit and work on their future shit - because it’s bound to come eventually - and they’re going to fucking _work_ this time, if Wally has any say in the matter.

And as one half of this relationship, Wally has a pretty big say, so he thinks his chances are good.

When Wally turns into his driveway, digging his keys out of his pocket, he feels Dick come to a halt a few steps behind him. Turning, he finds Dick just sort of… staring, up at his house. It’s nothing that special. It’s just a little bungalow with white and yellow siding, though there is a nice bay window that Wally has a particular fondness for. Dick blinks, and then looks at Wally’s Honda parked there beside them. Then back up at the house.

“Uh, babe?”

Dick doesn’t move. “Hm?”

“You good?”

“Yeah.” Dick’s voice is soft, his expression muddled, and he sighs. “I, um. I guess it’s just a little. Odd, for me.”

Wally frowns. “What is?”

“This. You, with a house. With a _car_ , shit, I never thought I’d see _that_.”

Wally shrugs. “Got two kids to cart around now, can’t exactly be carrying them to school at superspeed.” He squints, considering that for a moment. “I mean, I _could_ , but I definitely shouldn’t.”

Dick licks his lips, finally looking away from the house to gaze at Wally with… something, in his eyes that Wally can’t quite read. Then the few feet between them disappears and Dick has a hand on the back of Wally’s head, pulling him down for a kiss. Wally responds happily, loosely holding Dick’s hip with his free hand.

When they part, Wally smiles, raising his eyebrows. “What was that for?’

“I love you.”

His mouth goes dry. Have they said that again yet? Wally doesn’t think they have, and this is not how he pictured saying it, in the middle of his driveway on a random Thursday afternoon, Dick looking up at Wally like he’s… everything. Suddenly, he can’t picture it happening any other way. He’s speaking before he knows it.

“I love you too...”

Dick’s smile is small but radiant, quiet and adoring and just for Wally, and Wally feels his heart thump hard in his chest. Okay, they’re in love again. That’s… really nice.

“Would you like the grand tour?” Wally croaks out, clearing his throat in surprise.

Dick laughs, reaching up to run a finger along Wally’s lower lip affectionately, resting the pad of his thumb on the edge of his chin. “I’d love that.”

If Wally takes a few, very slow seconds to compose himself, he doesn’t think Dick notices.

Wally unlocks the door and sets the duffle bag down, waiting for Dick to come in and shutting the door behind him. Dick leans against the wall with one hand to kick off his shoes. Wally watches as his eyes flick around the room, taking it in.

The front hall is pretty plain. Nothing on the walls yet, though they are painted a nice pale blue that Wally had proudly picked out himself. A simple black doormat under their feet. There’s a mess of shoes on the rack of all different sizes, including a pair of bright yellow high top Converse patterned with red lightning bolts - limited edition ones that Irey had insisted Wally buy for her - and plain black, exceptionally dirty ones belonging to Jai that Wally had sworn not to throw out. The closet door beside him won’t shut properly, something that Wally’s been meaning to get to.

Speaking of which-

“You want me to hang that up?”

Dick is in the process of shrugging off his jacket, and he looks up when Wally speaks. “Oh- sure, thanks.”

Wally just smiles and takes it, toeing the closet door open and attempting to shove it closed after placing Dick’s leather jacket inside. He smiles sheepishly when Dick raises an eyebrow. “Old hinges. This place still has a few quirks I gotta work out.”

“Cute.”

It’s not unkind - not that Wally was expecting Dick to be judgemental or anything - but Wally still finds some heat rising to his cheeks.

“It’s no penthouse apartment, but, it’s home now.”

Dick purses his lips, brow knitted together for a moment, and then he’s taking Wally’s hand and squeezing tightly. “I know. I meant that.”

“I know.” And Wally does. He’s still a bit warm.

“Honestly, I’d take this over my apartment any day.”

Wally’s breath hitches in his throat, and Dick tenses immediately, and they both know he hadn’t meant it like _that_ but-- they haven’t talked about _that_ yet.

And now they _definitely_ need to talk. In general. Wally does not want to feel like they’re walking on eggshells every time the topic of their future comes up.

He swallows, and when he smiles it feels natural. “Yeah, me too. Too far from the ground.”

Dick rolls his eyes and everything is back to normal again. “You and your aversion to heights.”

“You and your _obsession_ with them.” Wally retorts, bumping his shoulder into Dick’s.

“Whatever.”

“Ooo, touchy.”

“Don’t make me smack you.”

“That a threat or a promise?”

Dick rolls his eyes again, but this time his smile is too big to hide. He lets go of Wally’s hand, choosing to loop his arms around Wally’s neck instead. “Man, you are _really_ jonesing for me right now, huh?”

Wally runs his tongue along his lower lip, grinning when Dick’s eyes track the movement. “Told you I missed you.”

“Mhm.”

Dick is properly staring at his mouth now, blue eyes dark and teasing and obviously wanting. Wally can’t say he’s not staring either, taking in every detail of Dick’s face and committing it to memory like he does every time they’re this close; the small beauty mark just under his bottom lip. The laugh lines creasing the corners of his eyes. The little flecks of gold in his irises that make them the sharpest, prettiest blue Wally’s ever seen.

It’s almost magnetic, how leaning into each other like this is so synchronized. Like they’re moving in tandem, always sure, always dancing to the same rhythm. Wally wonders if everyone has someone like this for them, or if he and Dick are just special.

Feeling a faint buzzing in his back pocket, Wally wants so badly to ignore it. Dick’s lips are so close. They’re _so close_ and they have all the time in the world today to get closer.

It only takes a glance at the caller ID to know he can’t ignore the call.

“Shit, sorry, I gotta take this.”

Dick nods, pulling out of his arms, and Wally aches just a little at the loss. “No problem, babe, go for it.”

“Feel free to look around. I know you want to, nosey.” Wally ducks away from the swat lazily thrown his way, grinning. He watches Dick start to tentatively explore the house for a moment before finally picking up. “Hello?”

“First off, I’m really, really sorry about this.” A loud crash, followed by a string of curses ringing in his ear, tells Wally this is not a social call from his ex-wife. “It’s so last minute and I know it’s my week with the kids but something’s come up and it’s a big break and if I leave now there could be _huge_ repercussions-”

Wally snorts and runs a hand through his hair. “Linda, hun, I’m gonna need some context.”

“Right, sorry, sorry!” Linda sighs. “I just got a call from the school, something happened with Jai again. I would go pick them up but I’m swamped and-”

Wally shakes his head, though Linda can’t see him. It’s more for himself anyway. “Say no more. I’m already on my way.”

“You’re a regular hero, y’know that?”

He smiles. “I know, but it’s nice to hear sometimes.”

“I owe you somethin’, I’m not sure what yet but I’m gonna get creative.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Now go save the world! I’ll update you on the kid situation later.”

“Give them hell and a kiss for me?”

“Good _bye_ , Linda.”

“Bye Wal- oh, _shi--_!” Her voice cuts off before she can finish.

Wally hangs up the phone with a sigh. Well, there goes his well-planned afternoon.

He finds Dick in the living room, standing in front of the fireplace. It’s a simply decorated room; two worn, cushy sofas, a new Ikea coffee table that Wally had only just set up a few weeks ago, a small bookshelf in the corner. The TV is mounted on the wall next to the fireplace. A nicely printed shot of Keystone, taken from Central City skies, that Donna had done for him ages ago hangs on the wall above the couch on the left. It’s a pleasant room, all things considered.

Dick’s gazing at the photographs on the mantelpiece. Most of them are of the twins - a few of the many pictures he and Linda had taken of them at their various, rapidly changing stages of growth. A knot tightens in his chest when he remembers that he’d also put up a few he’d kept from the old days; the Titans gathered together, years after they’d first started and Dick had been able to reveal his identity; his Stanford graduation photo with Barry and Iris; a selfie of Dick and himself on one of their many dates.

That one was a recent addition. He’d found it while he’d been unpacking the last few of his belongings that had been gathering dust in their old attic. That had been before he and Dick had reunited, after he and Linda split, but something had prompted him to keep that particular photo out from the rest. When they had officially gotten back together again, Wally had placed it on the mantelpiece next to the one of their friends.

Probably sensing Wally’s gaze, Dick glances over and spots Wally watching him, tilting his head questioningly when he sees him no longer on the phone.

Making his way back into the living room, Wally joins Dick in front of the unlit fireplace. Admires the pictures with fond familiarity. “Remember this?” He asks, gesturing to the framed selfie.

It’s a good one. Wally had taken it, tilting his camera high in the air to capture them both, their smiles wide and bright and exceptionally young. Dick’s hair was longer back then, his blue eyes a few shades lighter. They’d gone from true baby blue to something deeper and darker as he’d aged. Wally himself was wildy ginger, orange curls in every direction and freckles dark and numerous in the sunlight. Looking in a mirror these days, he wonders sometimes how he was ever that carefree.  

“Yeah.” Dick’s voice is quietly sentimental, but it’s laced with concern. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” Wally parrots. He sighs, tracing a finger over the picture frame and thinks how easy those days used to be, even when they thought they had it rough. “I have some… news.”

There’s a gentle hand slipping into his and squeezing tightly. “Babe?”

“Jai got into trouble at school,” He starts, the words leaving an itch under his skin the moment  he voices them. Wally doesn’t like that his kid is getting himself into trouble, no parent does, but he _hates_ the fact that he knows when they all get home, Jai will refuse talk to him about it. “Linda is caught up with work, and though it’s technically her week with them…”

“You said you’d pick them up.” Dick finishes his sentence for him with soft understanding.

Wally takes Dick’s hand in both of his his, giving it an apologetic squeeze. “I know this was supposed to be our day in Keystone, but…”

“Walls, you’ve got two teenage kids.” Rolling his eyes, Dick looks at Wally with such easy acceptance that his throat goes dry. “They come first. Our day can wait.”

It’s a natural thing to pull Dick in for a gentle kiss, arms winding around his waist and drawing him close. Dick leans into him, hands cupping either side of his neck, one thumb rubbing over the edge of Wally’s jaw so softly. It’s Dick who breaks the kiss, lips tilting up into a smile against Wally’s mouth.

“Should probably get going…” Dick murmurs.

Wally huffs and knocks their foreheads together. “Five more minutes?”

“ _Wally_.” Dick reprimands, even though he’s laughing. Threading their fingers together, Dick pulls him back towards the front door. “C’mon, you can give me the grand tour later. Right now we’ve got some kids to save from the horrors of high school.”

“I have a feeling one of them is _creating_ the horrors of high school.”

Wally lets himself be tugged out of the house again. Not that he’s not eager to get to the bottom of whatever problems Jai is having at school, but if he’s still a little jaded at missing out on a full day alone with Dick - well, he doesn’t say so, obviously.

He checks his phone as he slides into the driver’s seat, skimming over the flurry of texts Linda had sent him since their quick phone call, detailing what the principal had told her and - oh _jesus_ , Jai, where the hell did that come from?

Dick clambers in beside him. Wally scrubs his hands over his face, wondering why the universe has decided to test him this way, and then turns the key in the ignition.

“I really…” Wally sighs, a hand on the back of Dick’s seat as he turns to pull out of the driveway. “I really don’t know what to do about this anymore.”

“What?”

“My _kid_.”

“Is this is a frequent thing?”

“Jai’s been… well, there’s been a few incidents.” Wally starts, gnawing at his lip. “Ever since the divorce.”

“Oh?”

“Acting out. Apparently, this time he hacked into the teachers computer. Got the printers to start firing out the same picture. And then, somehow, managed to get an embarrassing video of some kid from like, youtube or something, to play on a loop on the projector during his presentation. I dunno, that’s all Linda gave me.” He glances over at Dick when the only response he gets is silence. “Okay, you _cannot_ look impressed by my delinquent son right now.”

“I’m sorry, but I happen to recall many ‘incidents’ occurring at Keystone High when you were, oh, about the same age as your delinquent son.”

“You’re not allowed to tell him that, I’m supposed to be the responsible adult now, y’know.”

“I never thought I’d see the day.”

Wally lets go of the steering wheel for a millisecond, just to flick the tip of Dick’s nose in retaliation, a wry smile pulling at the corners of his lips when he gets an indignant cry as  a reward.

With Wally at the wheel, it’s an odd role reversal for them both. Any time Dick had ever convinced Wally to get inside a vehicle when they were kids, he was the one driving. But with two kids and a civilian job, Wally had finally needed to buckle down and get a car. It was still an odd sensation; travelling at this speed without doing it with his own body has never sat right with him,

Dick rubs at the tip of his nose, glaring at his boyfriend over the back of his hand. “What was that picture of, anyway? The one that getting printed?”

“...”

“Wally?”

“The Fat Bastard…”

Dick snorts, slapping his hand over his mouth. Wally clamps his lips together. It’s _not_ funny. He’s not allowed to think it’s funny, no matter how truly genius the idea was.

“Well, if there was any doubt that he’s _your_ kid.”

“Shut up, I was never that clever.”

“I won’t argue with that.” Dick manages to dodge Wally’s flick this time, smacking his hand away from his face. “How does he even _know_ who the Fat Bastard is, anyway? You’ve let them watch Austin Powers?”

“Of course I haven’t let them watch Austin Powers!” Wally scoffs. “But with the internet these days, he probably got his hands on it a long while ago. I’ve tried to put parental locks on some of his stuff, but he’s hacked right through them, I don’t know where he gets it from.”

“It’s probably for the best, parental locks make your kid hide more shit from you anyway.” Dick murmurs, still absent-mindedly scratching at his nose.

Wally tries not to smile, finding it incredibly endearing. “They do?”

“Yeah.”

“How do you know?”

Dick gives him an incredulous look, then gestures exaggeratedly at himself. “Hello? Raised by the number one most paranoid dad on the planet? Had to help raise the number one most secretive and elusive _child_ on the planet? How do you think I got so good at what I do?”

“Alright, fair.”

“Trust me,” Dick sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose and looking an awful lot like Bruce in the process. “Actively hiding shit from your kids will not end well.”

“I forgot you had to take care of Damian, when Bruce-…” Wally trails off. His throat goes dry before he can finish the thought.

They hadn’t had a chance to talk about all of the in-between stuff yet, either. All of the things that had happened after they drifted apart. Wally’s mind floods with the moments in the past eight years that he’s wanted to tell Dick about, to talk to him about. Bruce dying is just one of the many traumas in Dick’s life that Wally wasn’t there to help with, and a pang of guilt stabs through his chest.

Those were hard days for everyone, but he can’t imagine how Dick must have felt. His father dies, and not only does he have to pick up a mantel he never wanted, but to also take on a volatile kid brother that doesn’t even want _him_? Wally suppresses the urge to smack his forehead against the steering wheel, hating that he wasn’t there for Dick during one of his hardest moments. Of course, Wally was having his own family issues at the time, but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t thought about Dick.

He’d thought about him every other moment in the past eight years, whether he’d wanted to admit that or not.

“So, he’s techy, huh?” Dick’s voice pulls Wally from his distracted thoughts, artfully changing the subject.

“Yeah.” Wally clears his throat when he finds his voice. “Has been since he was a kid - well, y’know, kiddy-er. Dunno where he gets it from.”

Dick snorts. “Maybe his dad? Who knew how to build an EMP device off the top of his head when he was 15?”

The corner of his mouth twitches up into a half-smile. “You remember that?”

“How could I forget?”

Wally doesn’t think he ever would either.

And there’s something wonderfully warm and strong and a bit odd about how simple that is. That despite the years of distance, of not being there for each other, there are things shared between the two of them that will always be there. Of then, when they _were_ there for each other.

Moments frozen in time, when they were so different, and yet exactly the same. A time when they were young and attached and reckless. When things felt so complicated that they believed they would never find their way out of it, following threads of hope to take them out of the maze they’d created and coming up with frayed string. Things were dangerous and heartstopping and fun, because they were dumb kids and being heroes and being _together_ was the _best_ thing.

Sometimes Wally wonders how much he’s really changed since then.

Some things, back then, were sweet, others a little bitter, but all of it was theirs. Pain and relief and joy and frustration all tangled up in memories that may one day fade, but haven’t yet. Wally thinks ‘something old and something new’ before the connotation takes hold.

That’s what they are, right now. A mix between something old and something new, wondering if this time is borrowed or if they get to have this, just this. For once, for things to work out.

After all of this time being complicated, don’t they deserve some simplicity?

The rest of the drive to Keystone High won’t take long and they both know it, so their conversation dissolves into a comfortable silence. The indie station that Wally keeps the radio on - the only one he and the twins can all agree on - quietly plays songs that Wally recognizes but doesn’t know the words to. Dick puts his window down and rests his elbow on the edge, his hair fluttering in the gentle wind, sunshine highlighting his sharp cheekbones.

When they finally pull into the parking lot, Dick opts to stay outside and wait by the car. It’s probably a good idea. Wally will have to preface to the kids why there’s some random guy with him that they don’t know, on top of dealing with whatever the hell Jai has gotten himself into. Which… Wow, this was really not how he’d planned on introducing Dick to his kids.

This isn’t how he’d planned this afternoon going, at all.

Navigating his way through his old high school is far too easy, and it’s still strange to walk these halls as an adult. The doors feel smaller now, somehow, even though he hit his growth spurt at 16 and hasn’t grown since. Luckily they’d managed to get there while class is in session, so Wally doesn’t bump into anyone in the halls.

Finally he reaches the office, speaking quickly and quietly to the secretaries and explaining the situation. It’s not long before he’s shown in the principal's office, and for some reason his palms start to sweat, like _he’s_ the one getting in trouble. Wally has to remind himself that he’s thirty-two now and has not been a student for a very long time, let alone one in high school.

Entering the room, Wally finds Jai first, sitting cross-legged and surly in a chair as far from the principal’s desk as he can get. Then he sees Irey, quiet and concerned, because of course she’s there. There’s no way she would’ve let Jai go to the office by himself regardless of if she was involved - which Wally still isn’t sure of. Wally marvels at how she managed to charm her way into sitting in here with her brother. He closes the door behind him, stepping forward to shake Mr. Byrne’s hand and takes his seat next to Irey.

According to Mr. Byrne, who was told this by Ms. Alvarez, Jai’s history teacher, most of what Linda had texted Wally was right.

It’s presentation day, and some kid named Ciaran Lewis was giving his at the time when the printers at the back of the room had started firing out dozens of pages at a time, flooding the classroom floor with them. Apparently, while Ms. Alvarez was trying to figure out what was happening and calling the IT department, her computer, which was projecting Ciaran’s powerpoint on the board, brought up some old embarrassing videos of the kid from his mom’s facebook - not youtube, as Wally had been lead to believe.

The only reason Jai had been caught was because the kid sitting behind him saw the tablet in his lap showing the same image as what was on the board and started yelling about it.

How the hell Jai had figured out how to hack into someone’s social media account, Wally doesn’t want to know.

Okay, so, Irey’s not involved. Good. At least that’s one thing Wally doesn’t have to worry about. Except for the fact that the twins seem to be having some kind of silent, psychic conversation while Mr. Byrne is explaining the consequences of Jai’s actions - Irey frowning at her brother and him glaring back at her, their eyebrows twitching every once and while. Wally doesn’t think he wants to know what that’s about either.

Jai gets two days suspension starting on Monday - Wally barters it down from four days, not wanting his kid missing any more school than necessary - and he has to write a formal apology to both Ciaran and his mother for his invasion of privacy. Thankfully, Mrs. Lewis isn’t pressing charges of any kind, but Wally is well aware that she could and he makes a strong mental note to remind Jai of that. Pulling up an embarrassing video is one thing - hacking into someone’s account? That’s some shit he _really_ doesn’t want Jai getting into, as harmless as this one time seems to be.

The whole thing takes about half an hour, and by the end of it Wally has signed both of the twins out for the day. Irey refused to go back to class, and Wally knows his daughter well enough to figure that she wouldn’t get any work done even if she had, so he agrees to taking her home too. Leaving the principal’s office together, the three of them are silent. Wally hasn’t said a word about it to either of them directly, but when Irey takes his hand, he squeezes it tight. Wally doesn’t want her thinking he’s upset with her.

He’s not really upset with Jai either. A prank is a prank, and if it wasn’t for the whole “privacy invasion” thing, he’d be mildly proud. But that’s not something he wants to encourage, so he stays quiet for now and makes another mental note to ask Dick how Jai might’ve learned to do that in the first place.

And that-- shit.

Well, there’s that whole other can of worms.

“So,” Wally starts as they come up to the front doors of the school, slowing to a halt. The twins turn to him -- Jai still surly, Irey curious. “I know this is your week with your mom, but she got caught up with work, so you guys are gonna stay with me tonight.”

“Kinda figured.” Jai mumbles, shoving his hands the pockets of his hoodie with a little more vigor than necessary.

“Right...”

Wally’s voice is stilted and he knows it. Irey picks up on it immediately, squeezing his hand again. The kid’s too perceptive for her own good.

Okay. He can do this.

“The thing is, I was sort of in the middle of something when your mom called.”

“What do you mean?” Irey asks.

Wally swallows, taking a deep breath. Wondering what kind of reaction he’s going to get. “I was… well, I was with someone. Someone you two haven’t met yet.”

“ _‘Someone’_?” Jai parrots, squinting at Wally suspiciously.

“Yes.”

It takes all of two seconds of Irey staring at him inquisitively before her eyes widen in recognition, and Wally braces himself for impact.

“Were you on a _DATE_?” Irey exclaims, and Jai is shushing her and whacking her on the arm before Wally even has the chance to respond.

“Shut _up_ , dipshit, we’re in the middle of the school!”

“Don’t call your sister that, Jai.”

“ _You_ shut up, you’re the one who-!”

“Irey, that’s enough.”

“You still haven’t answered the question, Dad!”

Wally rubs at his forehead with his free hand, Irey still gripping tight to the other and refusing to let go.

“Yes, I was on a- well, I mean, I was _about_ to go on a date.”

Irey frowns. “About to?”

“He’d just got here when your mom called-”

“ _‘He’_?”

Wally pauses, glancing at Jai. The tone in his voice was an odd one; a bit strangled, confused. His face goes through a vast range of emotions that Wally can’t name. It shouldn’t, though. This isn’t a revelation. He’d made sure both of them had understood his bisexuality as soon as the topic had come up, years ago.

“Yeah. ‘He’.” Wally says, a bit apprehensive. “We’d just come back to the house when your mom called, and we came as soon as we could. So--”

“Wait, wait--” Irey finally lets go of his hand, waving her arms around exaggeratedly. “Hold on. ‘We’? He’s _here_?”

Jai looks as his sister, wide-eyed, as if he hadn’t considered that, then looks to Wally. Silently asking the same question.

“Yes.”

“Holy shit.”

“ _Irey_.”

“Sorry!” She squeaks, raising her hands and shrugging. “This is just a ‘holy shit’ kinda moment, Dad!”

Wally breathes out a laugh, shaking his head. Fair enough. “Look, this isn’t exactly how I wanted to introduce you guys to him. I wanted to _eventually_ , but not so suddenly, and I wanted to give you more time to take it all in. But-- Well, here we are.”

Irey’s expression changes from surprise to elation, her grin wide, and she’s grabbing his hand in both of hers again, small, lithe fingers gripping it tight. She opens her mouth to speak, but Jai beats her to it.

“How long?”

Wally sighs. “A few months.”

“ _Months_?”

“It’s a long distance thing, I wanted to wait to make sure this was… a steady thing, before bringing you two into it.”

“So we get to meet him? _Now_?”  Irey squeaks again, bouncing on her toes.

Well, at least one of his kids is excited for him. From the look on Jai’s face, Wally doesn’t think he shares Irey’s opinion on the whole thing.

“Yup.”

“Holy _shit_.”

“Irey!”

“Okay, I’m sorry, but I’m about to meet my dad’s boyfriend, I think I’m entitled to _at least_ three ‘holy shit’s.”

Wally laughs, burying his face in both hands. _Jesus_.

“Okay, but that means you’ve got one more, so use it wisely.”

Irey grins and hops forward, throwing her arms around Wally’s waist and hugging him tight. Wally squeezes back just as firmly, burying his face in her bouncing red curls that are so much like his own.

“I’m really happy for you, Dad.” She murmurs after a while, her voice muffled into his sweater.

Wally holds her closer, squeezing his eyes shut. “Thanks kiddo.”

“Are you done?”

Irey twists in his arms to glare at her brother. Jai seems further away now, when Wally looks at him. Smaller somehow, too, like he’s hunching in on himself. Which. Jai already does that quite a lot anyway.

Wally rubs Irey’s back, feeling the tension rising and trying to dissuade it silently, but she still pulls away to stand next to him instead. It’s almost like she’s trying to create a united front or something, arms crossed and allied with her dad. As much as he appreciates the sentiment, Wally doesn’t like what that means for Jai. He steps closer to his son, who continues to avoid looking at him, and lays a gentle hand on his shoulder. Jai shrugs his hand off before Wally can say anything he wants to.

He and Jai have never been close. That much he knows. Wally and Irey have always had a stronger connection, even before Jai lost his powers. But they were better when Jai was younger. Wally was his dad and Jai responded to him like he was.

Now?

It’s almost like Jai doesn’t trust him. He never lets Wally close enough to understand him, no matter how much Wally might want to. No matter how much he tries, how much he cares, how much he wants to know Jai -- Jai doesn’t let him in.

And this? Whatever this reaction is to Wally dating again… Wally really hopes this doesn’t break the already fragile balance they have now.

“Okay.” Wally says. “Why don’t we head out, I’ll introduce you guys, and we’ll see where things go?”

Jai shrugs again. Irey’s glare blossoms into a smile. Wally tries not to hold his breath.

“Whatever.”

“Yeah!”

Alright. Here goes nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: The "Fat Bastard" part of Jai's incident actually happened to one of my friends as a kid, so I'm using that story and taking some liberties with it. Because kids are cruel and ridiculous and it's an /excellent/ story.

**Author's Note:**

> I really want to take this AU somewhere, it's been a lot of fun to think about and I have many plans for it. But I say that about all my fics. So we'll see how this goes. 
> 
> If you want to yell at me about birdflash/batfam/dc in general, hit me up at notstars-doors.tumblr.com !!! :D


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